Simplify Your Kitchen!

I thought I'd share a few of our kitchen storage ideas! Sometimes it takes some creative storage solutions to make our small kitchens work. When looking at containers it helps if you think outside the container! Think about what would fit in it, not it's intended use.

I had this old wood fruit crate that used to live on the top of the cabinets just for looks because I cannot part with one of DH's family heirlooms and beyond that I just think it's a really neat box!

I cleaned it up, and put my more regularly used cookbooks in it. Now the cookbooks stay neat & tidy, and if water gets onto the counters the cookbooks don't get wet and ruined.

We only access the chip bags on average once a week. We're not big chip eaters, and the chips never stand up well in the pantry to store. I placed ours in a large wicker basket, and it used to live on top of my fridge, and it worked well there, but I moved it today to the top of the pantry. I figured having the space on the fridge for other items was worth having to pull out a step stool once a week!

On top of the fridge I have 4 baskets. 1 is for the kids meds, because the medicine cabinet in the bath is not 3 y/o proof (LOL). Another basket is for hand towels. A smaller basket holds wash cloths. The smallest basket holds special candies (ie: M & Ms) that are only for potty rewards.

Everyday items, like coffee items (if you are a coffee drinker) may be better to store on the surface. Why have a mixer on your counter every day that you use once a month when you could have your everyday used items within arms reach? We are big coffee drinkers, so I purchased these biscuit jars (Sold at Target & Wal-mart) and I use them for Coffee, Sugar, and tea bags. It free'd up much needed space in the cabinets and pantry, and makes the morning a bit easier as well!